The money was used to buy two GPS devices, two pulse oximeters and medical textbooks. Ambulance Victoria acting team manager Rob Jaske said the donation would enable the service to save more lives.

"The equipment will help improve patient monitoring, ambulance efficiencies and paramedic education," he said.

"The GPS devices are the key to getting us to the patients as quickly as we can and getting the patient back to the hospital. These will help us increase our response times to all patients."

AV group leader Andrew Watson said the GPSs had already helped saved lives.

"We work in the growth corridor, which has so many rabbit warrens, and at 3am some places are hard to find. So these are really good. There is a definite benefit there."

Crews based in Beaconsfield attend between 600 and 700 call-outs a month. There are about 3000 call-outs a month in the south-eastern suburbs.

Berwick Opportunity Shop committee member Julie Cole said the shop raised more than $346,000 for the community last year by selling clothing donated by the public.

The money has been donated to various community organisations, including the CFA, Casey Hospital and St John of God hospital, schools and research funds.

"It's money well spent. It all goes to a good cause," Ms Cole said. "We wanted to help ambulance services in the area because it's an essential service, saving lives of local people and there are too many people out there with the impression they have lots of money.

"With the popping up of new estates all over the place, they need GPS to be able to find us quicker because we're always the first to complain when they don't.

"I want to know that the paramedics serving my community have the best training and knowledge and the required equipment at their disposal."

To donate clothing to the Berwick Opportunity Shop, visit 3aClyde Road, Berwick.